This invention relates to filters for sampling or cleaning chemical compounds from the air and, more particularly, to a glass based filter for collecting volatile, semi-volatile and particulate phase chemical compounds from the air.
Air filtration devices are used primarily to clean air by removing particles and undesirable chemical odors. Secondarily, they are essential to air sampling technology for the determination of contaminants by collecting trace levels of chemical compounds. Air filter systems exist that are capable of collecting trace chemicals. Likewise, other air filter systems operate without a large pressure drop. However, at a practical level, a filter not only needs to collect chemical contaminants from the air, but it must do so without impeding the ventilation system in which it is installed. Therefore, a high capacity, low pressure drop filter capable of collecting volatile, semi-volatile and to a degree, particulate chemical compounds is needed.
Existing filter technology uses different substrates coated with, or created from activated carbon to collect chemical constituents from the air. These substrates include glass, paper and other fibers. It is well known in the art to coat these substrates with a coating including activated carbon. The activated carbon functions to “trap” or adsorb chemicals present in the air stream.